Progress on Major Public Health Challenges: The Importance of Equity

Health disparities are “avoidable inequalities in health between groups of people within countries and between countries.”1 In the United States, these differences among population groups in the attainment of full health potential are reflected in shorter life expectancy and higher rates of heart di...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Public health reports (1974) 2018-11, Vol.133 (1S), p.15S-19S
Main Authors: Cooper, Lisa A., Purnell, Tanjala S., Showell, Nakiya N., Ibe, Chidinma A., Crews, Deidra C., Gaskin, Darrell J., Foti, Kathryn, Thornton, Rachel L. J.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Commentary
Community Participation
Cooperative Behavior
Fairness
Health disparities
Health Equity
Health Policy
Health Status Disparities
Humans
Inequality
Interdisciplinary Communication
Interinstitutional Relations
Leadership
Life expectancy
Low income groups
Public Health
Research - organization & administration
United States
Universities - organization & administration
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Summary:Health disparities are “avoidable inequalities in health between groups of people within countries and between countries.”1 In the United States, these differences among population groups in the attainment of full health potential are reflected in shorter life expectancy and higher rates of heart disease, stroke, diabetes, cancer, trauma and violence, substance use, infant mortality, and low birth weight among socially disadvantaged groups compared with socially advantaged groups. Disparities exist across many dimensions, including race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, disability status, socioeconomic status, refugee or migrant status, and geographic location—even between neighborhoods in close proximity to one another. Health disparities reflect social injustice because these differences in health across groups are unnecessary, avoidable, and unfair.2 Health equity is “when every person has the opportunity to ‘attain his or her full health potential’ and no one is ‘disadvantaged from achieving this potential because of social position or other socially determined circumstances.’”3 Achieving equity in health requires a societal willingness to address challenges associated with the social determinants of health, including racism and bigotry, poverty, residential segregation, substandard housing, low-quality education, limited employment opportunities, lack of public safety, unequal access to and quality of health care, and the lack of neighborhood amenities and resources that enable people to maintain and improve their health.
ISSN:0033-3549
1468-2877
DOI:10.1177/0033354918795164